Hi Everyone!
Last time we covered 6, 7 & 8 out of 12 Behavioral Problems and Solutions; Previous Bad Grooming Experience, Teased & Taunted, and Fear
In this series we will address 9 through 12, Puppies, Older Dogs, Medical Problems and Aggressive Dogs.
Sample Behavioral Problems & Solutions
There are different types of behavioral problems you may encounter when you are grooming the dogs. The information in this section will explain the problems, the reasons why, and what to do when a problem occurs. You will need to determine what the reason may be behind the bad behavior before you can try to correct the problem.
The main reason for most behavior problems is broken trust. You have to gain the dog’s trust and sometimes you will not be able to do that. It will depend on the dog. If you cannot find a reason for the pet’s resistance, then it may be the pet has learned that being somewhat dramatic at home gets the results he wants and he is now trying it with you. If this is the case you will have to establish your Alpha position and maintain it with the pet. If the pet continues to resist you in a strong manner, then you may have to call the owner and see if there might be another reason for his behavior other than the ones listed.
1) DISCONNECTED 7) TEASED AND TAUNTED
2) INCORRECT HANDLING POSITION 8) FEAR
3) ALPHA DOG 9) PUPPIES
4) CAGE BITER 10) OLDER DOGS
5) FIRST TIME GROOM 11) MEDICAL PROBLEMS
6) PREVIOUS BAD GROOMING EXPERIENCE 12) AGGRESSIVE DOGS
Most dogs will behave like little angels. They want to please you as long as they clearly understand what you want them to do. There will be some behavioral problems you may encounter with the dogs for various reasons. Listed below are some of the reasons dogs may misbehave.
9) PUPPIES
Puppies, those wonderful cute cuddly bundles of joy! They can try your patience when you try to groom them. Look at them as you would a small child. They have a short attention span, not very much patience and they have not developed self discipline yet. Up until now their owners have loved and spoiled them, which is very easy to do. They are so cute and cuddly. You will want to do it, too. It will be your responsibility to instill some discipline in them so they will behave for their grooms (see first time grooms). Puppies are young and inexperienced when it comes to grooming, so you have to be understanding and patient with them. It is better not to push the puppy beyond his limitations for the first few grooms, keeping his grooming simple. Sometimes the client will want their puppy to have an elaborate groom, but this is not fair to the puppy. Explain to the client how important it is for the puppy to enjoy his grooms. He will need to gain some grooming experience before he can behave for an elaborate groom. Most of the time the client will appreciate your concern and be agreeable to waiting until the puppy is older. There might be some client’s who may be adamant about the puppy receiving this type of groom. In a case like this it is better for you to do the groom than for the client to go somewhere else. You know how to handle the puppy in a good manner. Someone else may not have been trained as well, and the puppy may have a bad experience. The important thing here is the puppy and how he is handled so his future grooms will be enjoyable. Explain to the client you will do the best you can. The other thing to watch for with puppies is they do not have the same bladder control as adult dogs. They will need to go to the bathroom more often. Most of the time, the puppy will go to the bathroom in his cage after his grooming. Keep checking him and put a towel in the cage. The towel will help absorb the moisture and hopefully keep the puppy from soiling himself. If the puppy does have an accident and you have to re-bathe him, be patient with him and remember he is like a small child who can have accidents. Ask the client’s to please not feed their dogs before they bring them in as this will create problems for them. The dogs are in cages and they are not free to go to the bathroom when they want to.
10) OLDER DOGS
I like to refer to older dogs as canine senior citizens. As dogs age their tolerance level is not as great, and some of them are in pain. They do not like to leave the security of their homes, and they are apprehensive about new people and new places. Some of them cannot tolerate parts of their grooming as well as the younger dogs. Older dogs will not be able to stand for a long period of time. They are more fragile and things bother them more. The older dogs will react to the simplest of pain or discomfort, and they do feel pain more strongly than younger dogs. Older dogs can resist you for these reasons. You will need to be gentle with them, more so than normal, because they need your compassion and love. Do the best you can with the quality of the grooming. Their comfort and care are more important than the quality of their session. You may have to let the older dogs lie down and adjust your grooming skills to accommodate them. When you are not able to groom them as well because of their problems, be sure to explain this to the client. If a client brings in an older dog that is matted and you feel it would be too painful to brush the hair mats out, you need to explain to the client why it would be better to shave the hair off. If it is during the winter the dog will need to wear a sweater so he does not get cold. Older dogs can have bladder problems and may need to be taken outside periodically to go to the bathroom. It is best to schedule the older dogs in and out so they do not have to be away from home for a long period of time. As groomers we need to be gentle and understanding with these canine senior citizens and do the best we can so they will enjoy their groom as much as possible.
11) MEDICAL PROBLEMS
Some dogs may misbehave if they have medical problems. They may have had a previous injury that is still painful to them or they may have a current painful condition that is causing them some pain. When you begin to groom a particular part they, may resist you more than usual. Large dogs have a tendency to have hip dysphasia while smaller dogs have a tendency to have weak stifle joints (knee joint problem) in their back legs. The degree of the hip dysphasia can go from the mildly discomforting to highly painful. In a situation like this, the dog will let you know what is or what is not comfortable for them. The grooming quality is important, but the dog’s comfort and safety supersedes the quality in situations like this. The back leg stifle joints can be weak on small dogs and this can cause them pain and discomfort. Some dog’s stifles can be so weak the joint can pop out. This is painful for them but normally it will pop back in on its own. The dog will not be able to stand on his leg and he will hold it up. Do not try to pop the joint back in. The dog himself will know how to let the stifle joint work itself back in. The stifle joint can pop out on the dog on a regular basis when it is really weak, even if he is at home. Small dogs should not jump up and down on their back legs as this creates problems for the stifle joints. A lot of client’s do not know this and encourage the dog to do this because they think it is cute. You may have to modify the control positions if they are causing a problem for the stifle joints. The stomach position, the two back pads, and the two back feet positions are the ones you may have to modify or find another method to use. These positions will put pressure on the stifle area and this could cause the stifle to pop out. You can use these positions, but you will have to make sure you are not putting weight or pressure on the joints. When it is too painful for the dog in these positions you might not be able to use them. You may have to leave the dog standing on all four feet and work on the stomach from each side. The other choice is to get someone to help support him so the weight is not put on his back legs. For the back pads or the back feet positions you can use them, but make sure you are holding your hand in a way where you are supporting the joint so there is no weight or pressure on the joint. You need to quickly groom the back pads or the feet so there is not any discomfort to the dog or it is minimized. You will need some assistance if the dog continues to resist you or you may not be able to groom that part of the dog. Any dog that has a medical problem needs our compassion. If we can groom him in a safe and loving manner we need to do it. Maybe the groom won’t be as perfect as we would like, but we are groomers because we love dogs and their comfort and safety comes first. Put aside any fears and be confident knowing they can be groomed safely as long as you use the safety guidelines. Some of the other medical conditions you will encounter are abscessed teeth and sore gums, which can be quite painful. This will cause the dog to react to you when you are applying pressure around the mouth area. You might be putting pressure on the mouth when you are using the yoke position where you wrap some of your fingers around the muzzle. Check to see if the teeth and the gums are unhealthy. If this condition is present you will have to modify this hold in a manner where you are not putting your fingers around the muzzle. Another problem the dog can have is an infection of the inner ear. The ear leather can also have a condition where it is red, swollen and infected. You have to be careful how you hold these areas or try to not hold them at all. If the inner ear is severely infected and the dog is reacting because it is painful, do not pluck the hair out or swab inside the ear. This is a medical problem for the veterinarian, but do not tell the Client to take their dog to the vet. Making this decision is their responsibility. Your responsibility is to inform the client of the area that appears to have something wrong with it. It is up to the veterinarian to diagnose the condition. Whenever you feel a condition is very serious and you think the dog needs immediate attention, you might tell the client that they may want to call their vet and explain the dog’s condition to him. You will be able to see most of the medical problems the dog may have, like painful skin problems, sore feet, ears, teeth or eyes as you groom the dog. The dog may have infected anal glands. This will be explained to you in more detail in the bathing section. Some dogs can have epileptic seizures while they are in your care. Do not let this scare or upset you. The best thing to do (if the dog is small enough) is to wrap him snugly in a towel and hold him securely in a snug manner to you so he can feel safe with your emotions of love and confidence. Most of the time this will bring him out of the seizure quicker that leaving him alone in the cage. After the seizure put him in a quiet cage on a towel and let him rest until he becomes alert again. Call the owner and let them know their dog has had a seizure and see what instructions they want to give you. Normally the dog will not have another seizure in the same day. If for some reason he does, have the owner come and get him as quick as possible. It is okay to finish grooming the dog after he becomes alert again if the owner approves it. It is hard for you to hold a large dog that is having a seizure. Sometimes you can wrap a towel over him and hold him on the floor to comfort him, but be careful. A large dog may bite, but it is uncommon for this to happen during a seizure. Always be careful in any situation with a dog as he may react differently from the norm. It will be somewhat scary for you the first time a dog in your care has a seizure. Just remember to stay calm and comfort the dog. The seizure will not last long. It helps to ask the Client when you are filling out the dog’s information card if the dog has any medical problems or injuries. This information will let you know where the problem areas are, and it will let the client know you are a professional and you care about their pet.
12) AGGRESSIVE DOGS
Some dogs have been bred to have aggressive tendencies and some have been made to be aggressive. When you receive a dog who shows signs of serious aggression it is better to send him home. A dog that is growling, snarling and trying to bite is a definite sign of serious aggression. Any time a dog is showing his teeth (most of the time) he is warning you that he will bite. If you can muzzle him without getting bitten, you should be able to safely groom him, unless he continues to resists by trying to claw off the muzzle. You may have to send him home if you feel you or the dog may be injured. A dog that has a very severe aggression problem may need to be sedated by the veterinarian. The client will have to take him to the veterinarian to have this done or take the dog to the vet and let them groom him. Let the client know the groom will have to be simple due to this problem. Groomers usually charge extra for certain type of behavior problems. Aggressive dogs have been made that way or they have become aggressive for some reason or another. No matter the reason, you still have to be careful. Do not groom any dog if you feel there is danger. Normally this type of behavioral problem cannot be fixed. Sometimes it can be made manageable, but you do need to be careful. Always be safe first.
Please contract Mitzi for more information.
Thank you all!
Sincerely,
Mitzi Parrish
info@goldenpaws.com
www.goldenpaws.com
